Our Road Trips: September 2016

9/14/2016 9/5-14/2016

We have been very busy. We spent a day getting rejuvenated and we were off again, doing what we do. We had reservations to go rafting on the Colorado River below the Hoover Dam early on 9/5, with the meeting point in the campground we are staying, pretty convenient. So we were bused from there to a launching point directly below the dam, just downstream from where the by-pass tubes exit the rock walls of the Black Canyon. For the next 4 hours we made our way downstream, all the while getting a steady narration by the captain of our raft. We made two stops along the way, to eat lunch and for folks to go swimming in the 54 degree water...not this boy...:). We unloaded about 12 miles downstream and were bused back to the campground. It was a fun trip with an unusual starting point and a cool view of the dam and the new bridge which we saw under construction when we were here in 2012. The trip down to the launching point was pretty cool too, glad the bus' brakes worked. We went into town and spent the evening visiting a wine bar and the Boulder City Brewery again.

The next morning was moving day. We stopped for fuel in Boulder City and then drove south on US 95 which meets I-40 just west of Needles, CA. From there it is east on I-40 which we will be on to Oklahoma City, with various side trips along the way. The first was the trip south on AZ 95 to Lake Havasu City and a 3 night stay at Lake Havasu State Park. We are right on the water, but it is still pretty hot so we spend time in the shade or inside. We went to the London Bridge & had dinner overlooking the bridge and the channel that flows under the bridge. There are more people in this town than we anticipated and more tourists too. This time of year we thought it would be quieter, especially during the week. The next morning we spent our time enjoying the State Park and then drove back to the area around the Bridge and visited the Visitor's Center and took the ferry across the lake to a casino in California...nice boat ride over & back, that's all I'm saying.

The next morning, we are headed north, in the car, to drive some of the Historic Route 66 from Topock, AZ with a stop in Oatman and on to Kingman and then back to the camper. It is a stretch of Route 66 that is mentioned in a lot of literature about the famous Mother Road and is still in driveable condition. Oatman was a ghost town when they built a new section of Rt 66 that follows the current course of I-40 and eliminated the extreme inclines that often had horses pulling Model A cars up the hill. But Oatman has made a comeback of sorts and even has a functioning Fire Dept. But it is mostly stores to sell T-shirts and other stuff tourists want and the infamous donkeys that wander the streets begging for food from the many people who drive through. Then it is up and over the pass and down the other side and on into Kingman. On our way back, we saw the Yucca exit and went to check it out, only to learn there was no entry allowed at the Chrysler Proving Grounds...we were told to go to Utah. We got back in time to stop at the camper, pack a little cooler and head back to the area near London Bridge. We then took an 1.5 hour sunset cruise around Lake Havasu, pretty boat ride. We returned after dark and boy was it dead, I mean no one on the streets. We returned to the camper and took a break. Tomorrow is moving day again, so we put up most of the outdoor stuff.

We packed up the rest of our stuff, hooked up the car and were on our way east. Originally, we were going only as far as Ash Fork, but when we arrived, no one was in the office, and the place is a dump. So we looked for a different place on our way east and decided on the Grand Canyon Hotel & RV Park in Williams, where the Grand Canyon train goes to the Grand Canyon 364 days (No Christmas train). We arrived and got parked, changed and headed to Flagstaff in the car to meet Barb's cousins for a drive to Arizona Snow-bowl just north of town. When we got to the top for cars (9200'), we took a chairlift to the top for skiers (11,500'). The ride is pretty, there are lots of trees and you can see a long ways. When we got back down, there was a 3 piece band playing and a dinner included with the price of the ticket. So we sat and talked, ate some Mexican food & listened to the music. When the band quit, we drove down to Flagstaff and found a place at an outdoor plaza where a different band was playing and it was a beautiful evening...fun catching up with Barb's cousins too...fun night!!

The next morning, we were back in Flagstaff to meet up with Barb's cousins Ricky & Pamela for drive in the country south of Flagstaff. It is Saturday, so we expect tourist areas to be pretty full. We spent the rest of the day driving through Sedona, Cottonwood, Jerome, Clarksdale, Prescott, Prescott Valley and back to Flagstaff. The scenery was very impressive, the towns interesting in each of their own way and a great way to spend time with family and get acquainted, We stopped for lunch in Cottonwood and visited an old theater converted into a nice restaurant. When we got back to Flagstaff, we visited the Dairy Queen and sat next to a section of Route 66 and enjoyed the evening.

We used Sunday as a day of rest, watched some football, a recorded version of the Sat night NASCAR race and went down town to scope out Williams and have some dinner. Place was quiet until it got dark and all the tourists got back from the Grand Canyon...we went back to the camper.

Monday morning, we were at the train station early, watched a pretend gun fight and then boarded the train to the Grand Canyon. The train left about 945 and we were at the Grand Canyon about 1130 and loaded on a bus to tour the south rim area. We had never been in the area we visited, so it was all new viewing. The second stop was at a geological museum and some awesome views of one very huge, pretty hole in the ground. Then we had lunch at the Maswik Lodge and had our guide at our table, fun to ask questions. Then it was back on the train and the ride back to Williams. We had a man playing guitar both directions, a champagne toast while leaving the Grand Canyon, and some train robbers who invaded the train just north of Williams on our return, so it was a very active day. The Grand Canyon is a beautiful place and we have now been there 5 different ways, car, train, airplane, raft & bus. The plane is still at the top of our list, seeing the canyon at sunrise from the air is something everyone should experience at least once. Whatever method you choose, it is worth the trip.

Tuesday, we drove back to Flagstaff and located & visited 3 National Monuments in the area. First was Walnut Canyon 3 miles south of I-40. It is only 300 feet deep, but there are numerous Indian Ruins on the walls of the canyon that date to about 1100 AD. Then we made our way north of town to Sunset Crater Volcano which is at the beginning of a 35 mile scenic drive that goes through volcanic lava flows from 1084 AD. Then there is the Waputki Indian ruins left behind from the folks who occupied the area for the next 100 years and miles of country covered with volcanic ash that has been there for 900 years. It was a very interesting day that was very fun to discover. On the way back to the camper, we drove some more of Route 66 and then stopped at the Grand Canyon Brewery for a great pizza and a few craft beers.

Today, we are just hanging out, catching up on this blog and meeting Ricky & Pamela for dinner. We had a real nice time with them, Tomorrow is moving day, east to Winslow...Standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona, such a fine sight to see...stay tuned, much more coming up.

Steve & Barb Larson